BlueBlue wrote:I'm looking forward to the Lions, but I believe 2 things. 1. It costs us a lot in terms of player drain, 2. It is almost an impossible task for the lions to win.

It's more than drain for me...

O'Brien is permanently carrying injuries anyway, so you wonder what such an attritional tour will do to him. Sexton will be targeted and Henshaw will be asked to become a bartering ram. They're the biggest worries I have.

Then there's the Corbisiero memory that comes back when you wonder if Furlong & McGrath will come back in one piece. Corbisiero never recovered after 11.

“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”

simonokeeffe wrote:Cronin wouldve been in with a shout if he was fit and starting. Hibbard would be one big F you to Hartley but raises question why has Gatty ignored Hibbard for so long then?

Because he went to Gloucester. It's no different from us. He'll only pick players outside of Wales if there is very clear daylight to the next guy. Different with the lions obviously. You're hardly going to not select a lad just because he's in an English club.

“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”

simonokeeffe wrote:Cronin wouldve been in with a shout if he was fit and starting. Hibbard would be one big F you to Hartley but raises question why has Gatty ignored Hibbard for so long then?

Because he went to Gloucester. It's no different from us. He'll only pick players outside of Wales if there is very clear daylight to the next guy. Different with the lions obviously. You're hardly going to not select a lad just because he's in an English club.

Ah I think it is different, theyve fielded a good few non Wales based players and Gatlands law had more holes in it than Dillingers corpse

Could well be a factor latterly but Hibbard played 7 tests the season after he moved and Gatty only dropped him when he named RWC squad